Powered by gas-swilling V-8 engines ranging from 5.7-liter/250-horsepower small-blocks on up to the 7.4-liter/360-horsepower monster big-block, the inaugural '70 Chevrolet Monte Carlo established a name for itself as a luxury-oriented boulevard cruiser bent on stealing sales and race victories from the Ford Thunderbird. The established long-hood/short-deck theme continued with the more curvaceous '73 redesign, which also carried over the large circular headlamps and egg-crate grille for a front-end family resemblance.

Facing the mid-'70s stranglehold of tighter emissions and rising fuel-economy standards, the Monte Carlo succumbed to the down-sizing trend in 1978 when a third generation was introduced at 800 pounds lighter and a foot shorter than its predecessor. A V-6 engine was offered for the first time, and rated at a paltry 105 net horsepower. Before the end of this generation, the Monte Carlo would experience such highlights as the turbo 3.8-liter/170-horsepower V-6 and the popular race-inspired SS package.Serving as a replacement for both the Monte Carlo and the Celebrity, Chevrolet's front-drive Lumina line was introduced in 1990, featuring affordable midsize coupes and sedans. Race teams were quick to switch to the more aerodynamic Lumina, which helped drivers such as Dale Earnhardt become permanent fixtures in NASCAR winners' circles. A performance model named Z34 emerged touting a 3.4-liter/210-horsepower V-6 and boy-racer looks, aggressively applying the "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" approach to the strong-selling Lumina.To replace the Lumina coupe in '95, Chevrolet resurrected its classic Monte Carlo moniker and applied it to the newly designed two-door. While many Bowtie enthusiasts were disappointed that the SS badging also wasn't brought back from the grave, the Z34 label is a reminder of the car's Lumina pedigree. Although their names differ, both the current Lumina and Monte Carlo share common sheetmetal, chassis, and drivetrain components to reduce development and production cost.When it came time for us to decide which flavor Monte Carlo to add to our long-term fleet, we skipped past the base Monte with the capable 3.1-liter/160-horsepower V-6 and made a beeline for the Z34. Combining performance and luxury in an affordable Canadian-built coupe, the Z34 comes standard with such niceties as a four-speed automatic transmission, sport suspension, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, power windows/locks/mirrors, cruise control, PASSKey II theft deterrent system, keyless remote entry, and four-speaker AM/FM/cassette stereo. To the reasonable $18,970 base price we added a six-way power driver's seat ($260), rear window defogger ($164), and upgraded stereo ($72). With a measly $596 in extra-cost items (including California emissions certification) plus $525 destination charge, our Monte Carlo Z34 just topped the $20,000 mark.

Under the '95 Z34's hood rests the familiar 3.4-liter DOHC V-6, carried over from the Lumina and capable of propelling the softly contoured coupe from zero to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds. Stacked up against its long-time competitor, the Ford Thunderbird, the Monte Carlo Z34's power falls between the now-retired 230-horse supercharged SC model and the normally aspirated LX. The Z34 currently offers more horsepower than the T-bird's 4.6-liter/205-horsepower V-8 engine, but is 50 pound-feet short in torque.The Z34's brisk acceleration is tainted by moderate torque steer, leaving us to again lament the passing of rear-wheel drive. On the positive side, whether from a stoplight or on the highway, there's plenty of power to overtake slower vehicles while maintaining appropriate composure befitting a large coupe.